Christmas Recipes

  Christmas is almost here! The tree is up, stockings are hung, presents are wrapped and under the tree, and baking is being done.  If your like most Americans your proably on your way to this image but still scrambling to get either the shopping or baking done.  Well here are a few great recipes to help you out with the baking part! :)

Chocolate Crinkles

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 4 ounces unsweetened bakers chocolate
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla (I always add extra--usually between 1/2 to 1 teaspoon extra)
• 4 eggs
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• powdered sugar

Directions:

Put chocolate squares into a bowl and melt in the microwave (make sure to stir frequently to keep chocolate from burning. I also suggest that you melt it on a low to medium power level).  Combine oil sugar and chocolate and mix well.  add in eggs, baking powder, salt, and vanilla. mix. lastly add in the flour and mix well.  Refrigerate dough for approximately two to three hours. After refrigerating the dough pour a good amount of powdered sugar onto a plate.  roll the dough into little balls and then roll them in the powder sugar, giving them  nice coating.  place on a baking sheet and bake (at 350 degrees) for approximately 9 minutes (they should look somewhat done but still seem slightly gooey in the middle.

http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/chocolate-crinkles/941e22b3-9a48-4fb1-bdb0-27479e76d484#?st=6&term=chocolate crinkles&fv=AND(HasGridViewImage%3ATrue)&ps=9&pi=9&fv=AND(HasGridViewImage%3ATrue)

Peanut butter blossoms:

Ingredients:

• One bag of Hersheys Kisses
• 1/2 cup butter
• 3/4 cup peanut butter
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 and 1/2 cups flour
• granulated sugar

Unwrap (or like me have your sister unwrap) a bag of hershey's kisses and set aside.  Cream the butter, peanut butter, and sugars.  Add in the egg, vanilla, milk, salt, baking soda, and mix.  Lastly, add in the flour and mix well.   Pour some granulated sugar onto a plate.  Roll the dough into little balls approximately 1 inch in diameter and then roll them in the sugar making sure they get a nice coating. Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 6 to 7 minutes.  Take the pan out of the oven and gently push a kiss into the center of each cookie.  place the tray back into the oven for another 30 seconds to a minute in order to allow the kiss to melt into the cookie.  Take the cookies out of the oven and allow them to cool for a few minutes before removing them from the sheet.  Now, you can either enjoy a warm and gooey cookie, or you can freeze them inorder to be able to stack them for goody trays.

http://www.hersheys.com/recipes/5191/Peanut%20Butter%20Blossoms.aspx


Frosted Sugar Cookies:

Ingredients:

• 1 cup butter
• 1 and 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla (I always add extra)
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract (I always add extra)
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 2 and 1/2 cups all purpose flour

Cream the butter and powdered sugar.  Add in the egg, vanilla, almond, baking soda, cream of tartar, and mix well.  Add in the flour and mix.  refrigerate dough for approximately 2 hours.  After the dough has been refrigerated lightly flour your counter and rolling pin.  Work the dough until it becomes soft enough to roll.  Sprinkle the dough with flour and roll until it is approximately a pencil width thin.  Cut out the cookies with your favorite holiday cookie cutters.  Bake at 350 degrees for about 7 minutes.  Freeze until cold and then frost. Frosting recipe follows.

http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/holiday-cutouts/a1830449-487e-4c7f-882c-48ac06d83a91#?term=sugar cookies, almond extract&st=6&ads=1&ps=9&pi=9&fv=AND(HasGridViewImage%3ATrue)

Frosting!

Ingredients (I don't usually measure so measurements are approximate):

• 1 bag powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup crisco
• 2 table spoons butter
• 2 and 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoons almond extract
• 1 to 2 tablespoons milk

cream the crisco, butter, vanilla, and almond together.  Slowly add in powdered sugar and mix.  add milk as needed to thin the frosting.  Mix in your favorite food colorings and make your cookies beautiful!

Recipe: Original recipe was from my neighbor and I changed it some (added more vanilla and almond--I really like vanilla and almond :D)

Picture:
http://www.delish.com/recipes/cooking-recipes/frosting

Breed of the week: Tibetan Mastiff

The Tibetan Mastiff is a gigantic dog that weighs anywhere from 140 to 170 pounds and stands about 25 to 28 inches off of the ground!  They are a very strong and sturdy dog with a broad and wrinkled head along with a broad muzzle. They have deep set, brown, almond shaped eyes and ears that hang slightly forward.  The Tibetan Mastiffs have a double coat that is extremely thick, and have what looks to be like a mane of fur around their neck.  The coat can come in the colors of brown, black, grey, tan, or a mixture of these colors.  The average life span of a Tibetan Mastiff is 15 years.

   The Tibetan Mastiff breed is thought to go back all the way to 1100 BC were they were isolated in the Himalayan mountains.  These dogs were often used as guards and some would even guard whole villages.  When men would leave the village to move their flocks to higher grounds these dogs would be left behind to guard the man's family.  in the 1800s the English Queen Victoria received one of these dogs and it was the first time that the Tibetan Mastiff came out of isolation.  Soon many more of these dogs were imported to England where they were bred and gained popularity.  In 1970s the breed came to the United States.  Although it became a very popular breed in England and the United States it became a rare sight in Tibet.  The Tibetan Mastiff was recognized by the AKC in 2006. 

    The Tibetan Mastiff is a very intelligent, independent, and confident dog.  This breed has guarding instincts and may be protective of their family.  This breed is very dominant and due to their protective instincts it is important to socialize them from a very young age.  They can do well with other animals, especially if they have grown up with them.  They can be aggressive towards an animal of the same gender, so it is recommended that if you get another pet to get one of the opposite gender.  The Tibetan Mastiff can be trained, but it does take patience because they can be stubborn.  They are easy to house train though.  As long as children are gentle with the dog, this breed does very well with them.  They do need a good amount of exercise and a fenced in yard is definitely recommended due to them not always coming when you call.  This breed becomes very close to its family, but can be a little reserved in showing affection.  These dogs have a deep bark and don't mature until 3 to 5 years of age.  This breed is a heavy shedder, but brushing can help remove some of the loose hair.  Although the Tibetan Mastiff can be a challenging dog to train, they will be protective and loyal friends.

Information from:
 http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/tibetanmastiff.htm
http://www.justdogbreeds.com/tibetan-mastiff.html

Picture from:
http://www.tibetanmastiff.net/

Day of the Three Kings

   Everyone loves Christmas and wishes that it would last forever or at least a few more days.  well, in Mexico and other Spanish countries they celebrate the holidays all the way until January 6th and even longer.  January 6th is called Three Kings day or El Dia De Reyes in Spanish. In the Bible, in the chapter of Matthew to be specific, it talks about how the three wise men followed a star to Bethlehem to bring gifts of frankincense, gold, and myrrh to the new born savior, Jesus.  This holiday celebrates the journey of the three kings to visit baby Jesus.

    Similar to our tradition of Santa Clause, a few days before the holiday the children write letters to the three magi asking for gifts.  The children take these letters and attach them to balloons sold during the season and send them off to the kings.  Families also travel to Alameda park in Mexico city a few days before the holiday and celebrate with stands of food, toys, and even can have their picture taken with the three kings.   

   On the eve of January 5th kids place their old shoes either under their beds or in their living rooms to be filled with goodies by the three kings. This is also the night that families add the figurines of the wise men to the nativity scene. Similar to how kids here in America leave cookies and milk for Santa and maybe even a carrot for Rudolph, children in Mexico leave milk and cookies for the wise men and often water and hay for the kings animals.   Children then go to bed and wake up the following morning to find that the three kings left them gifts.

    Families celebrate with the Merienda de Reyes, which is an evening meal that is had with family and friends.  People prepare for the meal by traveling to the market and often buy traditional holiday treats such as the rosca de reyes, a sweetbread that is oval shaped and covered with candied fruits.  Families celebrate this feast by eating the rosca bread, tamales, and drinking hot chocolate.  Each person cuts a slice of the bread and inside one of the slices a person may find a small figurine of baby Jesus, which represents how he needed to be born in a secure place away from King Herod and the knife represents the danger that he faced.  Although you would think that everyone would want to find this figurine, they actually don't want it.  The person who receives the figurine is nominated as the host for a February 2nd festival known as Candelaria and has to invite everyone that is present at the January 6th feast as well as purchase a new outfit for the baby Jesus in the nativity. The holiday season ends on February 2nd where another feast is made and the nativity is put away for the year.

Information from:
http://www.inside-mexico.com/featurereyes.htm
http://vallartaonline.com/information/SpotLight/ThreeKingsDayinMexcio/
http://www.nytimes.com/1998/11/08/magazine/a-world-of-celebration-mexico-city-day-of-the-three-kings.html

Picture from:
http://www.inside-mexico.com/reyesoscar.htm

Breed of the Week: The Shar Pei

    The Shar Pei is a medium sized dog that weighs about 40 to 55 pounds and stands about 16 to 20 inches off of the ground.  Shar Peis are well built muscular dogs that have very loose and wrinkly skin.  Puppies are extremely wrinkled and as these dogs aged they become less and less wrinkly.  They have large heads with small ears and small eyes that are sunken in.  Shar Peis have  blueish-black tongues and curly tails.  Shar Pei's come in three different coat types horse-coat, brush-coat, and bear-coat which is rare and is not recognized by the AKC. The Shar Pei's come in the colors of black, red, fawn, and cream.

   Although the ancestry is somewhat uncertain Shar Pei's are thought to date back to the Han dynasty as similar dogs are seen in paintings from this era. People think that the Shar Pei may have descended from either a larger Tibetan breed or southern china service dogs.  The Shar Pei was a dog used for hunting and herding and was also know as a fighting dog but not because of it being ferocious.  Because of its loose skin it could be bitten by another dog but still move around and return the attack.  This breed was recognized by the AKC in 2005.

    The shar pei is a devoted and independent dog that becomes close to its family.  They are as serious and calm breed of dog.  They will be very loyal to their owners but it is important to handle them with confidence in order to let them know who is in charge.  These dogs are very intelligent and therefore are not to difficult to train. It is important to socialize these dogs from a young age in order to get them used to people.  These dogs usually do well with children especially if the have grown up around them.  It depends on the dog, but some may not always do well with other dogs or cats in the household.  It is recommended that this dog have a fenced in yard and to be walked on a leash due to some natural hunting instincts.  A Shar Pei requires only an average amount of exercise and a walk each day should be the right amount.  Grooming a Shar Pei is also not too difficult, they just need an occasional brushing and bath as well as making sure that their wrinkles are clean.  The Shar Pei is a loyal dog that would make a great addition to many households.



Information from:
http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/sharpei.htm
http://www.dog-breed-facts.com/Breeds/Shar-Pei.html
http://dogbreeds.bulldoginformation.com/shar-pei.html

Picture from:
http://wallpapers.free-review.net/15__Shar_Pei_puppy.htm

Hot Chocolate! :) Yum!

    Although it hasn't snowed yet, we all know it is right around the corner.  Just think about a brisk and chilly winter morning when you wake up to find that the earth is covered in a fresh blanket of fluffy white snow.  You groggily get out of your warm bed and pull on your snow pants, boots, jacket, and mittens, grab the shovel and head out the door.  You shovel the drive way for a good half and hour, your nose turns red, your fingers feel as if they might fall off but yet you enjoy the beauty of the snow.  After the time in the chilly weather and all the hard work of hauling the snow off of the drive way you decide to head in and have a nice warm and delicious mug of hot chocolate topped with marshmallows and whipped cream before heading back out to enjoy the snow by sledding down the big hills covered in slick snow.  But where did this delicious drink that keeps you toasty warm in the winter come from?
    It is believed that beverages containing chocolate date all the way back to the Aztecs.  Cocoa beans were very valuable to the Aztec people and were used for cooking and currency as well as being given as gifts.  These cocoa beans could be used to make a chocolatey drink, but this drink was very unlike our modern hot chocolate.  For one, it was served cold and it was flavored with wine and peppers giving it a bitter and not sweet taste.  When chocolate was discovered by Spainsh explorers in the 1500's it was introduced to Europe. There hot chocolate was changed.  It was served hot and had a sweet flavor as it was no longer flavored with spicy chili peppers.  It wasn't until the 1700's that this drink reached Britain where they started to add milk for flavoring and it became a nice and popular after dinner treat.  Finally in the 1800's cocoa powder was invented.  This powder was a lot easier to mix in with the water or milk and most likely made hot chocolate a much quicker and easier treat to make and enjoy. 
    Although it has changed a lot from its origins hot chocolate is a great treat that keeps you nice and toasty during the chilly winter months and always puts a smile on your face when you are enjoying a nice sweet mug of it.

Information from:
http://coffeetea.about.com/cs/chocolate/a/chochistory.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hot_chocolate#History

Picture from:
http://www.sogoodblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/hot-chocolate.jpg

Ruldolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

    You know Dasher and Dancer, and Prancer and Vixen, Comet and Cupid, Donner and Blitzen, But do you recall the most famous reindeer of all? Of course you do! :) Everyone knows Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer.  I personally look forward to watching this Christmas special every year and would definitely say that it is one of my favorites.  Earlier today I was trying to think of a Christmas idea to blog about and after a little while I thought of Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer and wondered where the story of this fun little reindeer who saves Christmas came from.

   Rudolph was created in 1939 by Robert Mays, a copywriter for Montgomery Ward in Chicago. The company wanted to come up with a Christmas pamphlet to hand out to the customers around Christmas time in order to increase the number of people coming to the store and of course to make money.  The store was known to hand out coloring books around this time of year but the pamphlet idea was a way to save money.  Robert Mays had experience with writing children's stories and poems, so this made him the right man for the job!

  Robert Mays decided to write a story about a reindeer that was different from the others and picked on because of his red nose. Before deciding to name the reindeer Rudolph he had considered the names of Rollo and Reginald.  The story was written in couplets and had a poetic feel.  Mays would read the story as he was working on it to his young daughter to make sure that it would appeal to children. The story was really coming together but May's boss was a little worried about Ruldolph having a red nose due to a red nose being associated with drinking.  Mays responded by having a friend draw up a picture of this thought up character.  No one could resist this Christmas character and the story was approved by Mays boss.  2.4 million copies of this story were sold just by the end of 1939 alone!

   The song "Rudolph-the-Red-nosed-Reindeer" was created in 1949 by Robert Mays brother in law, Johnny Marks and was recorded by Gene Autry.  The song sold 2 million copies in the fist year alone.

   The tv show that we all know and love first aired in 1964. Somthing that I was suprised to learn was that the characters Yukon Cornelius (silver and gold guy), Clarice (the girl reindeer with the bow who likes ruldolph), and Hermey (the elf who would like to become a dentist) were all new characters added to the special that were not in the book.  The scenes about the Island of misfit toys as well as the scene where Rudolph rescues his parents and friend from the abominable were also new to this special.

    Although the story may have started out just being a store way of attracting customers, Rudolph is still one of the most popular Christmas specials today that is loved and watched by both kids and adults alike.

Info from:

http://www.snopes.com/holidays/christmas/rudolph.asp
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rudolph_the_Red-Nosed_Reindeer
http://www.the-north-pole.com/carols/rudolph.html

Picture from:

http://www.hark.com/collections/znwtgyhccd-rudolph-the-red-nosed-reindeer

Dog of the Week: Saluki

    The Saluki is a very graceful medium to large sized dog that weighs around 31 to 60 pounds.  They stand anywhere from 21 to 28 inches off of the ground and have a life expectancy of about 10 to 12 years.  The Saluki is a very long and slim dog.  They have a long and slim face, a long neck, a long and slim body, as well as a long and slim tail.  Saluki's have ears that hang down by the side of their face and large oval shaped eyes. These dogs are pretty similar to grey hounds.  They can come in two coat varieties, either a short coat with long, feathering hair around the ears, legs and tails or a short coat that has no feathering.  They can be a variety of colors including white, fawn, red, black, white, cream, tan, gold or a mixture of colors.
    The saluki is a very old breed of dog that is thought to be related to the Afghan hound and is native to the Turkey area.  In Egypt the Saluki was known as a royal breed and is one of the oldest domesticated breeds known.  The name of the dog derived from an ancient Middle Eastern city that no longer exists.  Salukis were recognized by the AKC in 1927.
    The Saluki is a very active dog and would need an owner willing to put in a fair amount of time training it and who lives an active lifestyle that the dog could be a part of.  These dogs need a large fenced in yard to run around in.  These dogs can run up to 35 miles per hour so it is important to either have them inside the fence or on a leash because they tend to run after things due to hunting instinct and can be hard to catch.  It is also important to make sure the fence is high enough because these dogs are very good at jumping as well and could probably hop over a 5 foot fence.  These dogs can be hard to train but if you have patience and put the time that is necessary in you can have a well trained dog.  These dogs are very gentle and will have a great and loving relationship with their owners.  Being a very active and intelligent dog, the Saluki can do very well at sports like flyball, agility, racing, and tracking. After running around all day the Saluki will love to sleep in their owners bed and are very fond of curling up in the pillows and blankets. Salukis can do well with children and some cats, but are not recommended to be with small rodents again due to their hunting instinct.  These dogs are average shedders and just need the occasional brushing, bath, and ear cleaning.  The Saluki is a very active and sweet dog a nd would make a great addition to an active family.

Info from:
http://www.dog-breed-facts.com/Breeds/saluki.html
http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/saluki.htm
http://www.justdogbreeds.com/saluki.html

Picture From:
http://www.greatdogsite.com/photos/gallery/Saluki/?index=7

Animal Crackers

   Everyone probably remembers being a little kids and having our parents hand us a little bright red box of animal crackers to snack on.  The box alone was fun, decorated with bright colored circus animals.  After admiring the animals it would be time to rip the box open (no longer worried about the box, but anticipating what delicious little animal crackers were inside).  You then would reach in and see what animals you had.  Ripping one out you would proudly declare to others around that you had a bear or a camel.  It was now time to bite off the head of the cracker and giggle like all little kids do because they find it funny that they now have a headless animal cracker.  Many memories are made while eating animal crackers. 

 I was curious about how these yummy snacks came to be and I did a little research.  Here is what I found....
  
  Shaping baked goods into little animal shapes was thought to be a popular Christmas tradition in medieval Germany.  These treats would often be used as Christmas decorations and were highly thought of. By the nineteenth century animal shaped cookies started to be produced in factories and were very popular in England. 
    It was also during this time that animal crackers were shipped over to America from England where they were a huge hit and were soon being produced by American bakeries.  The National Biscuit company (known as Nabisco today) was one company that produced these popular treats.  In 1902 animal crackers became known as Barnum's Animal's and then started to take on the circus theme (from the Barnum and Bailey Circus).  It was also during this year that the festive little red boxes were developed, before this they were only sold in the big containers and tins.  These boxes however, were developed to be Christmas ornaments which is why they had a string attached to the top. These small snack size boxes were very popular and as you can tell caught on as they are still sold today, although back then each box was only 5 cents.
   Animal crackers have been a huge hit for many years.  They have featured 54 different animals including the tiger, camel, lion, rhinoceros, giraffe, and most recently the koala.  Over 40 million packages of animal crackers are sold yearly in the United States and 17 other countries.  No one can resist the yummy taste and fun time of eating a box of animal crackers. And who knows maybe they are even still used in some houses as  fun Christmas tree decorations.

Info from:
http://www.foodtimeline.org/foodcookies.html#animal
http://www.foodreference.com/html/artanimalcrack.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Animal_cracker#History

Picture from
http://starhilldesignstudio.com/starhillblog/?p=53

Egg Nog

    When a lot of people think of the holidays they may think about the famous drink, egg nog.  A mixture of eggs, sugar, cream, milk, and if chosen an alcoholic beverage that either makes you long for it or wrinkle up your nose in disgust.  I personally am not a fan of egg nog, but I was curious to how it came to be because it is such a unique beverage.  After doing some research here is what I found.....
    It is thought that egg nog originated in Europe and during the 1600's was used to toast to one's good health.  Egg nog was a drink that only high-ranked citizens had the priviege of having because both eggs and milk were very scarce at the time.
  As the drink spread to places all over the world, people from different countries started to make their own variations.  In America, colonists added rum to the drink because it was easily purchased from the Carribean in the triangular trade. American colonists had plenty of eggs and milk and therefore people from all social classes could enjoy it.
  The drink continued to spread across the globe an was modified with different alcohols and even coconut milk in Puerto Rico.  As egg nog spread it became a holiday tradition for many people.
  Now that we know more of the history of egg nog, where did it get its unique name?  In Old English the word "nog" refers to a strong beer.  Colonists in America would also refer to thick drinks as "grog".  Although it is not exactly clear where the name came from these words may of contributed to the name egg nog.
    Egg nog has been around for many years and it continues even today to be a popular holiday drink that still continues to be modified with different flavors and ingredients.

Information from:
http://cocktails.about.com/od/history/p/egng_hstry.htm
http://whatscookingamerica.net/Eggnog.htm

Picture from:
http://www.rachaelray.com/recipe.php?recipe_id=1274

Christmas Cards

    It's that wonderful time of year again.  The time where we all throw on our best Christmas sweaters, the red ones, green ones, snowflake ones, and maybe even ones with reindeers and blinking lights. :) We then all pose in front of the big and beautiful Christmas tree to take a picture that will soon be sent to everyone that we know.  When did people start to send Christmas cards? And why did they send them?  Well, lets find out!
    Christmas cards are over 100 years old and started in England.  A Man named Richard Armour commented to his friend Sir Henry Cole that although he tries to send greetingsto everyone there are so many people to make contact with that it can be hard to talk to everyone, but he felt it was important to tell others to help those in need. Sir Henry Cole agreed and had another man named John Calcott Horsley paint a scene of a happy family and the needs of the poor being met. The cards all said "A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to You", the first Christmas card was complete. Henry Cole then sent these cards out, and although it is said that he did not send any cards the following year this idea caught on and became popular.
    American's had to import their Christmas cards, which were now becoming more and more designed with Christmas shapes and pop-up figures until 1875.  A German immigrant by the name of Louis Prang opened a lithographic shop and published the first Christmas cards in America. Although his first cards didn't feature a lot of traditional Christmas images, by 1881 he was producing over 5 million Christmas cards a year and they began to be a lot more "Christmasy".
    Even 150 years ago people felt rushed and like they didn't have time to get everything done and tell everyone one things they want to say and so they developed a card to help get this done.  Today, a time that has become even busier these cards still help us to stay in contact with friends and family all over the country.

Info from:
http://www.emotionscards.com/museum/xmas.html

Picture from:
http://www.zazzle.com/christmas_card_merry_christmas-137780764831090480

Breed of the Week: The Chinese Crested

    The Chinese Crested is a toy breed of dog that is usually less than 13 pounds and only stands about 9-13 inches of the ground. The Chinese Crested has a life expectancy of about 15-16 years. These dogs are very slim and find boned with a thin and curved tail.  The Chinese crested can come in two coat varieties.  They can be either hairless, and only have tufts of hair on their heads, tail, and feet, or the can come in the powder puff variety and be fully covered with fur.  The fur of this breed is soft and can grow to long lengths. They can come in a variety of colors and patterns including: white, tan, brown, black, silver, spotted, and many more varieties.
    The Chinese crested is thought to have descended from African-wild dogs. Through trading between merchants and sailors these dogs made their way to cities all around the world.  Chinese sailor's preferred small breeds of dogs and would often sail with the Chinese Crested aboard in hope that these dogs would help to get rid of the rats on the ship. In the 19th century the Chinese Crested started to show up in European art and in the late 1800's they were entered in Dog shows in America.  The Chinese Crested was acknowledged by the AKC in 1991as a toy breed.
    The Chinese Crested is a very playful and curious dog.  They are a pretty active dog that loves to play with toys.  These dogs become attached to their families and love to spend a lot of time with them.  They are very friendly and do well in a family that has children as long as the kids are gentle.  The Chinese Crested is very affectionate and will show a lot of love to its family including a lot of puppy kisses.  These dogs can live in almost any environment from apartment to mansion because of their small size.  They will also do well with a wide age of owners including elderly owners because due to their small size they can burn off most of their energy playing inside.  Being that these dogs are pretty active they do need exercise in the way of playing, walks, or running around inside or outside.  When these dogs are taken outside they need a coat in the winter to keep them warm and a t-shirt in the summer to protect their skin from sunburn.
    Unless you are planning on entering your dog into dog competitions, this breed requires minimal grooming.  It is a light shedder and requires a regular bath (maybe every 1 to 2 weeks) and brushing.  The hairless type may require some lotion and sunblock to keep their skin moisturized and to protect their skin from the sun.  It is important to keep their teeth healthy as well due to the Hairless Crested being born with missing teeth.
    The Chinese Crested is a wonderful companion that will become an important member of your family.


Info from:
http://www.akc.org/breeds/chinese_crested/
http://www.dog-breed-facts.com/Breeds/chinese-crested.html
http://www.justdogbreeds.com/chinese-crested.html
http://www.fetchdog.com/learn-connect/dog-breed-center/c/chinese-crested-dog-hairless/Chinese-Crested-Dog-hairless/D/lcbreedfactcenter/P/1:5:51:503:5271/I/BR00005271?#famous
http://www.jayasdesignercresteds.com/chinesecrested.html

Picture from:
http://www.yourpurebredpuppy.com/buying/chinesecresteds.html